Lures and Choices

“When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him…’” (John 13:31, BSB)

John’s recounting of Judas’ betray of Jesus in chapter thirteen should lead people to consider their life choices. He used Judas’ betrayal of Jesus to highlight the choices Jesus gives people. The text explains the choices and the consequences. Judas’ name became synonymous for a reason. We can learn from Judas’ actions and their results. What can we learn from this occurrence during Jesus’ earthly life? What did Jesus say happened right after Judas walked away from him?

Judas’ departure from the supper table to see the priests pointed a sign toward Jesus. This sign declared Jesus is the Son of Man. Judas believed Jesus was the Messiah, but he did not believe in Jesus. He did not accept salvation from his sins by faith in Jesus. According to John, Judas “had gone out” (exerchomai). (Interestingly, other Bible writers used exerchomai to tell of demons leaving.) What caused Judas to betray Jesus? What caused him to choose money instead of salvation? Did God fore-ordain that Judas would betray Jesús and not be saved?

God knew someone would betray Jesus. Many of us refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and our Savior. We might run from Him when God is convicting us of our sins. We may avoid Jesus when we do not want to obey God. Perhaps we run from God because someone in our past, who was a supposed Christian, hurt us. People run away from Jesus for various reasons. God does not force our belief or our giving up the right to ourselves. God gives each of us a choice to follow Jesus or not. Despite knowing Jesus is the Messiah, Judas refused to trust Him for salvation and eternal life. Perhaps the fastest way Judas found to avoid spiritual conviction was to leave Jesus’ presence, physically. The lure of thirty pieces of silver from the priests to betray Jesus led Judas to desire “easy money.” The lure fed Judas’ love of money. It provided a safe distance from Jesus’ influence, so he would not have to deal with his heart’s sin conviction.

Jesus grieves the lost souls in the world. He desires no one to be lost. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us this. Peter wrote, “God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit­--did not want Judas to run away from Jesus or the Spirit’s convicting him of his sins. God’s desire is for all to repent, believe in Jesus, and be saved from sins. By that salvation, each person enters an eternal relationship with Him. Judas chose to run from the Holy Spirit’s convicting of his heart and run toward his temptation.

God is greater than any person. He can use all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Satan tried to thwart God’s plan to provide eternal forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. But Satan was not all-knowing, almighty, or omnipotent. God’s plans prevail. God’s plan never forces a person to receive salvation. His plan in John 13:31 was for Jesus to be glorified as the Son of Man, the Messiah. God’s plan included Himself being glorified. Glorification of Jesus and God affirmed they are real, trustworthy, and the only deity. The human life of Jesus came to its culmination, and His heavenly reality became apparent with the start of His finish on earth that Passover week. The person betraying Jesus that week ushered in the last days of Jesus’ earthly life.

Jesus planned to be crucified as the perfect human sacrifice—one without sin. He planned to die as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity. According to God’s plan, anyone who has faith in Jesus and repents of their sins can receive salvation and be restored to a right relationship with God. As Jesus’ last days opened, Judas’ betrayal of Him led to Jesus’ glorification as Son of Man, deity. Jesus was 100% human and is 100% God. Jesus and the Father received glory that day. The disciples acknowledged and honored Jesus’ true nature, part of the Trinity.

Jesus wants everyone to accept His offer of salvation and avoid eternal separation from God. He does not want backhand acknowledgement of His divinity by the intentional turning away from Him, like Judas. Jesus wishes for a relationship with each person by their belief in Him as their Savior from their sins.

What lures you away from God and the salvation He gives to everyone who believes in Jesus? What do you choose for your life instead of acknowledging Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Don’t be the person who fears the future and chooses what is tangible. Choose absolute certainty in the Savior and guaranteed eternal life with God. Judas saw and believed Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, but he chose a lure instead of Jesus. 

 

Choices of Life

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14

God told Joshua to call the Israelites to himself. He told Joshua his death would be soon. The Israelites needed to be reminded of who God is, has been, and will be, as well as what He has done for them as His people. In Joshua 24:14, God, through Joshua, challenges them to recommit themselves to Him.

As we consider this verse, we must notice all the imperatives—fear, serve, cast aside, serve (again). For one verse to have so many commands, this should cause us to ask some questions. The questions that come to my mind are the following four.

·       Who gave these commands? God gave them.

·       Whom did God command? He commanded His people, Israel, and, by forward-pushing, His children by faith.

·       How were God’s people to keep His commands since humanity is sinful and unfaithful? God would give them the will and ability to do what He commanded. God gives absolutes. His ways are bigger than people’s. People must have the desire (will) to follow God through their daily growing relationship with Him, which makes His desires theirs. People also receive God’s empowering to do what He commands, asks, and lays out.

·       What did God command the Israelites to do? He gave four commands by using three words and used one of them twice. God emphasized one command because it was a very important imperative.

God’s first command to the Israelites was to “fear the Lord.” Fearing God comes from the Hebrew word yare’. It means to revere and honor. God commanded the Israelites to revere and honor Him above all else. He would give them the ability to do this. The Israelites would be in awe of God and could only worship and revere Him solely if they grasped onto His power to forsake the self-concerned murmurings of their fickle hearts and minds. God does not require what He does not give the ability to do. People must want to be close to God so that they receive His enabling because of their hearts and minds being attuned to His. God said, “Fear the Lord,” to the Israelites. Draw near and worship God.

God commanded the Israelites to “serve Him.” Again, what God commands people He enables them to do. It requires selflessness, which will lead to godliness. God commanded the Israelites to serve Him, Yahweh (the always existing One), not other gods. Those other gods, which Yahweh said not to serve, include manmade things, self, or other God-created things. He told the Israelites how to serve Him—"in sincerity and truth.” People have a faithlessness that allows them to perform worship acts without involving their heart, mind, and soul. God told His people to serve Him with their whole being (sincerely) and faithfully (in truth). These descriptors of the worship God requires may have caused the Israelites recall what Moses told them. He said in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 22:37. So, God commanded the Israelites to grasp His enabling of them faithfully to serve Him sincerely with their whole being.

God gave a third command in verse 14. He demanded they “cast aside the gods your fathers served.” Cast aside means to put away, remove, turn aside from. God commanded the Israelites to grasp the power He gives them to turn away from the false gods the Egyptian, Abraham, along with his ancestors, venerated. Do not worship them; intentionally turn away from worshipping created things. Instead, be in awe of Yahweh and worship Him, the One who was before time, is now, and will be even beyond time. Choose to revere and serve Yahweh faithfully (singularly) and completely, with your heart, mind, body, and soul.

That third command in this verse leads to God’s final command. The final command is a reiteration of the second imperative. He commanded the Israelites to cast away the gods of their forefathers and the Egyptians and “serve Him.” Serving God requires exclusivity, serving only Him. It requires oneness of being and faithfulness. Serving God requires awe and reverence of Him singularly daily. God enables His people to serve Him completely and exclusively. People are fickle and unfaithful. Yet God does not command of people what He does not enable. God gives His people the ability to have a close and personal relationship with Him. From that relationship comes the will and desire to be closer to God and to honor Him with their lives by word, action, attitude, and exclusive worship.

Even today, God enables people to serve Him completely and selflessly. He does this by bringing a sinful person into a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus. Because of God’s great love for people, He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born in human form, live sinlessly, die unjustly, and arise from death victoriously. Jesus died for our sin punishment, which we deserve, so that whoever believes in Him will be saved from their sin and given eternal life with God in His kingdom (John 3:16). For anyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the grave will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Anyone who is God’s child can obey His commands in Joshua 25:14 with His enabling. Trying to live as God’s child without His strength, power, and enabling, leads to sinning--missing the mark. God expects His children to live by His enabling them with ability, power, and strength. Anything less than exclusive and sincere worship of God is unacceptable. They become tepid water He spits from His mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).

Today, I encourage you to consider your relationship with God. Do you have a relationship with God by believing in Jesus? Is your worship of God true worship—done with your whole being? Do you worship God faithfully daily and weekly? Do you grasp God’s gift of enabling you to worship Him in these ways? Have you turned away from other things in your life that had more importance to you than God and returned to worship Him wholeheartedly and singularly?

“Choose you this day who you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15a)

 

Purpose, not Fear

God did this (see verses 24-26) so we would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far away from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ (Acts 17:27-28 [NIV])

Imagine you and a navigator use a rowboat to travel over the waters. You begin the journey with hearty conversation and begin dreaming about the future. Periodically, the navigator tells you when to veer eastward or westward. You trust him because he knows more than you, and you and he have the same agenda. After days of being in the boat with the navigator, you’ve talked all you want, and the air goes silent except for the splash of your oars as they break the surface of the water. You can’t hear the navigator, but you keep paddling. Eventually, you realize you’ve not seen anyone on the water for a long time. Then you realize you’ve not asked the navigator for directions in a long time. At that point, you understand you stopped listening to and left him and you don’t have any way to know where you are. You lose your way and become stranded on your own, then you don’t know what to do as panic rises within you.

Jesus is like the navigator of the boat. We often see Him as unnecessary for our journey, then go on our merry way. Still, as we continue, we realize we had a sure purpose and direction in life when we listened as the navigator gave directions. We realize we learned about life as we talked with Him throughout the journey. As children of God, we have a purpose in life. 

Jesus’ purpose and calling on earth was to live as the Son of God as the Son of Man to fulfill prophecies about the Messiah and become the Savior of the world by dying on the cross. Each Christian has a God-ordained purpose, too. Our purpose is to let the Son of God live and move and have His being in us (Acts 17:28) so that other people will seek Him, see Him, and come to know Him as their Savior. Our purpose as Christians is to bring glory to God by testifying about Him.

When Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane for the last time, He entered it already a victor because He is the Son of God. He prayed intently not to fail in His purpose of dying as the Son of Man. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for each person to remove their sins, which caused their separation from God, and their resultant judgment. God had defeated Satan long before when He cast Satan out of heaven. As the Son of God living on earth, Jesus defeated Satan, too, during His forty days in the wilderness when he tempted Jesus, but Jesus did not yield to sin. The challenge that faced Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was going through His crucifixion as a man, the Son of Man. Going through the agony as the Son of Man revealed He accepted the purpose God had given Him as the Son of God. His agony provided humanity the simplest way to be saved from their sins. Jesus’ greatest action, dying on the cross, provided humankind the greatest victory, victory over sin and death. Salvation through Jesus makes us co-heirs with Him in the kingdom of heaven. As such, we do need not fear what may happen to us, but instead follow in Jesus’ footsteps with His strength. The writer of the book of Romans said, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ-if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17 [BSB]) We are co-heirs with Jesus through His death and resurrection. God’s children do need not fear, but just follow Him. He has a purpose for our lives that is for our good. God will always be with us, for us, and in us.

We each face similar challenges in fulfilling the purpose of God in our lives. The greatest challenge is saying, “Yes, I will give my will, my life, my all so that the will of God can live, move, and have its being through me and in that way other people can come to know Jesus and the salvation He offers.” The challenge is do I want my will or God’s will to rule my life. This challenge comes throughout our lives as life-choice questions. Should I take the job offered to me with higher pay so I can provide more for my family, even knowing it will mean we must move and the ministry in which God has placed me will suffer? Should I seek safety and comfort closer to family offered by my employer during a perilous or pandemic time, even though the ministry in which God put me will suffer and people would turn their backs on God? Should I seek a degree in a field that offers surety of employment and good money, even if God has gifted me in the arts and has told me to get a degree in the arts? These and other life choices arise, and we must decide if we will live as a person the Son of God lives in, moves through, and in whom He has His being so other people would seek Him, see Him, and know Him as their Savior.

More is at stake than our own lives and fears when we live as the son or daughter of God. As heirs of salvation, for that is what Jesus said we, His disciples, are in Matthew 25:34 and of what Paul reminds us in Romans 8:16-17, we are the body of Christ on earth to testify about Him and God’s great love. God calls each of us to tell people about Him so those people may be saved. Jesus’ salvation was not for a few select people, but for all people. Jew, Greek, male, female, slave or free, He loves and cherishes every person. God has a purpose for where He places us and for what He tells us to do. That purpose may sometimes put us in uncomfortable situations. Thoughts may come to mind that we can find another job somewhere else. Or, our families need us to provide more money so they can do X or Y or Z. Or, surely God doesn’t want us to die far from my family?

If we seek ease, money, or health over God’s will, we hinder God’s means to reach the people to whom He wanted us to be a living testimony of Him, so they would come to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God, their Savior. This does not mean the people He wants to know about Him won’t hear about Him; it means He won’t use us to do it. Besides this, if we choose to go our own way and not God’s way, we don’t know if what we sought instead of God’s plans will occur. Perhaps a job for which we moved will not be a good “fit” for us, and our families experience more problems in that city. Or, possibly, going our own way instead of God’s will lead to an avoidable health crisis that we wouldn’t have experienced if we followed His plan. Considering factors besides ourselves, the people God meant for us to meet would not hear a testimony of Christ from us or they would think we don’t believe God can protect us. Finally, if we seek a degree that “guarantees” a good income, the people we would have met in the art world might not hear about Jesus, and the income might be too little on which to live. Making decisions based on self because of fear or personal desire will often lead us away from God’s plan and possibly into hardships against which we cannot stand by ourselves.

The purpose of Jesus’ life, the Son of God and the Son of Man, was to be our Savior through His crucifixion, the most agonizing of deaths. Similarly, the purpose of our lives, as co-heirs with Christ, is to be a living testimony to Jesus. Our lives  are meant to show His living, moving, and being through our actions, words, and thoughts. Considering laying aside our agendas and our ideas of what is best and where is safest for us is agonizing. Still we must remember, Jesus’ agony on the cross was the greatest suffering ever experienced by humanity. Jesus, as Son of Man, probably dreaded the pain of crucifixion just as we dread what might happen to us if we don’t take our lives into our own hands. Even in the face of crucifixion, Jesus told His Father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39 [NIV]) The Son of Man gave His will entirely to the will of the Father though it would require a crucifixion death because of humanity’s sins and a separation from the Father until it was “finished”.

Where is God telling you to be today? What is He telling you to do today? To whom is God telling you to go? Nothing you can figure out for your own life is greater than living, being, and moving for Him because nothing is more important than obeying Him and leading people to know Jesus as their Savior. Your life choices are not more important than eternal salvation from hell. Your health, safety, and wealth are not more important that God’s plan to save each person.

When you choose to do what you want and ignore what God asks you to do, you choose your desires over someone’s eternal life.

You could be condemning someone to eternal separation from God.

Who are you to decide someone should go to Hell?

God was the navigator of your rowboat as you began your Christian journey with Him. You enjoyed daily conversation with Him and learning from Him. You realized you never had to worry about how to get food and fresh water to drink. God taught you many things and took you to meet people you wouldn’t have met if He hadn’t been your navigator. He wanted you to talk with other people on your journey to glean from their journey with Him or to tell them about your relationship with Him. One day, after having exhausted conversation topics with your journey companion, you realize God is not in your boat anymore. He has not navigated your journey for a long time. Now you paddle in circles without meeting many people and without eternal purpose. You don’t know where you are or how to get to any place. Think back to when your journey began. How did you know what to do then? You spoke with God daily. You sought Him. God promised that when you seek for Him, you will find Him. (Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9; Acts 17:24-28)

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 [NIV])

Today, you can choose to renew your relationship with God. Pray to Him. Read your Bible. God waits for you to turn back to Him. He loves you, has a purpose for your life, and wants to be your Navigator again.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 [NIV])

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 [ESV])

Choose today who you will serve – God or yourself.

Lord, forgive me for being blinded by my ego and fear, and considering You less important than me. Forgive me for my self-centered view of life. I had never considered my choices could affect someone’s eternal situation – permanent separation from You or permanent life with You. Lord, I am sorry. I got into the boat with You to live life with You, but then I put You ashore and set out on my own agenda. Lord, You are most important in life and eternity. Your gift of salvation is more important than anything I could ever do for myself or anyone else. Lord, You are almighty, faithful, and loving, and I am not any of those things. Today, Lord, I give the oar to my boat, my life, back to You. Lead me where You want me to go. I will trust Your plans and live Your purpose for my life to bring You glory as I obey You by telling people about You and the salvation You offer. I must decrease and You must increase. I understand this better now. Thank you for Your patience with me. I love You, Lord. Amen.

The Ultimate Destination

Acts 27

This week we continue our journey with Paul. Last week we followed him to Jerusalem, to which he continued going even knowing of his imprisonment and persecution. Many people heard from the Holy Spirit that Paul would be ill-treated, but he chose to continue on his journey to Jerusalem. He had heard from the Holy Spirit in Acts 19:21 that he was to go to Jerusalem. He did not allow the pleadings of other believers, evangelists, and prophets to keep him from this appointed journey. This week we jump into the middle of Paul’s last journey.

In Acts 25 and 26, Paul defended himself against the Pharisees charges. They became violent and began to beat and stone him. Twice the Roman cohort (guard) intervened and carried him out of the fray to the safety of the barracks. Because Paul was insistent, the second Roman governor of the region, Festus, agreed to send him to Rome to meet with the emperor. This is where we arrive in the story in Acts 27.

Chapter 27 begins, “it was decided that we would sail for Italy.” The garrison captain at Caesarea gave charge of Paul and other prisoners to a centurion named Julius. The left on an Adramyttian ship. This Adramyttian region is encompassed by the city of Mysia. Mysia was a province of Asia Minor on the shore of the Aegean Sea, between Lydia and Popontis. It included the cities of Pergamos, Troas, and Assos. The prisoners, Paul, and Julius joined this ship and sailed to Sidon, a Phoenician city on the east coast of the Mediterranean near Tyre and above Caesarea. The commandant gave Paul freedom to visit friends and receive care with them. They next sailed between Cyprus and Asia to keep northeaster winds from buffeting them. Northeaster winds are strongest during winter. The ship continued to sail along the coast of Asia and landed at Myra. Julius found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, upon which they next traveled. They sailed along Asia but experienced difficulty with the winds and decided to sail south of Crete letting the island be a wind barrier for them.

At this point, the journey became treacherous and Paul “admonished them” (vs. 9). He spoke as one who had many years lived and traveled in the vicinity. He said, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also of our lives.” After the pilot and ship’s captain persuaded the Roman centurion, they continued their journey. At this point we must stop and consider a couple of things. The captain and pilot of the ship left Lycia and passed Cnidus knowing that the weather at this time of year was deadly. Their possible greed for one last trip to markets surpassed their common sense and experience. They chose money over the value of lives, cargo, and ship. Julius the centurion followed bad advice and judged incorrectly between Paul and the captain. Both these men had ulterior reasons for continuing on the journey. Paul wanted to get to Rome. Going to Rome had been his dream for years. Yet he chose more than that to follow the leadings of God and God told him the current journey would end in lost cargo and lives. However, the journey had to go forward because of the captain of the ship. Bad choices and bad judgments can lead us astray but not out of God’s hands.

The captain decided to continue and they left the Fair Havens harbor. (Aptly named don’t you think?) The ship headed for a more stable harbor at Phoenix to shelter from the winter winds. In verse 13, the crew and captain felt they had a sign from a god to go ahead with the journey and left the Fair Havens harbor. Before they arrived at Phoenix, a violent wind caught the ship and drove it hard. The boat ran under the shelter of Clauda and the crew barely got it under control. They girded the ship’s hull with ropes to strengthen it, lowered the sea anchor, and allowed the wind to drive them along the sea. The next day they were so violently storm-tossed that they jettisoned the cargo and later threw the ship’s tackle overboard. For fourteen days they did not see sun, moon, or stars nor had they eaten during this time. The outlook was bleak. Once again Paul spoke. He stood up in their midst and said,

Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night and angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.” Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But, we must run aground on a certain island. (Acts 27:21-26 [NASB])

Even though men, in their bad decisions and judgment, appear to thwart God’s plan, God remains in control.

 After this, the men listened to Paul and what the Lord said to him. They continued to be driven around the Adriatic Sea and noticed they were approaching land. The crew feared they would run aground and, under the premise of cutting the anchor, they lowered the ship’s boat. Paul noticed and told the centurion, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved” (vs. 31). The soldiers were listening to Paul now. They realized Paul spoke up before the journey and was right. The captain of the ship led them astray and into harm’s way and death’s door, they realized. The men may have thought, “What do we have to lose by listening to Paul now.” Alternatively, they may have thought they should have listened to Paul from the beginning. Either way, they chose to heed Paul and cut the ship’s boat away so no one could leave the ship. After this, Paul encouraged them and told them to eat, for it had been fourteen days since they had last eaten. He said, “Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish” (vs. 34). He took the bread and thanked God in front of them. Encouraged, they ate, and then threw the remaining wheat overboard. God continues to care for His creation, people, and wants them to survive, thrive, and be encouraged as they go through live. Paul became the ambassador of God for the crew, soldiers, and prisoners.

When day broke, they saw land but did not recognize it. Next they resolved to drive the ship onto the island. They cut the anchors away, hoisted the foresail, and headed for the beach. Before they arrived at the beach, the prow (forward hull) stuck hard in the reef. The stern splintered by the force of the waves outside the reef. The soldiers fretted over prisoners getting away and not meeting their judgment in Rome. They wanted to kill the prisoners. Julius wanted to fulfill his duty and take Paul to the emperor. He kept the soldiers from killing the prisoners and arrived at a plan to get everyone to the island. Those who could swim would and those who could not would hold onto ship planks and other floating debris to get to the island. The 276 people arrived on the beach alive.

What I saw in this story is not just a storm-tossed and broken ship with survivors, but God’s hand. Men - the captain, pilot, and Julius - made bad decisions or judgments about the journey. Their greed or drive to do their duty surpassed their good sense about nature and the time of the year. They chose not to listen to Paul, God’s anointed servant, because he was just a man who was a prisoner. As we journey with them on this tumultuous ride, we find that God’s hand does not leave Paul or the boat. In the end, the crew, captain, and Julius decide to listen to Paul. Possibly they decided it could not get any worse without them dying, so why not. Maybe they decided they should give it a try since their knowledge was not getting them out of their mess alive. Either way, the crew gave control of their lives and their ship to God.

God’s plans are never thwarted. In the end, His will prevails. We know from the book of Revelations that God is the victor over Satan and his demons. Jesus Christ won the battle when He rose from the grave on the third day. He proved His power over death and Satan. God has a plan for each of us. His ultimate plan is that we turn to Him, accept His gift of salvation, and have a personal relationship with Him throughout eternity. Sometimes, though, we make bad decisions and judgments and our paths skew away from God. If we are Christians, we will ultimately be with God in heaven for eternity. We can never be removed from God’s hand. We can walk our own ways, fall into pits, and make bad decisions, but God is always God and will bring us through because of His love over our lives. On the other hand, if a person is not a Christian, until they have given their lives to God through Jesus Christ, when they make bad decisions, their ultimate end is not assured to be in God’s hand. The only assurance that person has is that they will face judgment and to determine if they are one of God’s sheep or one who is to be put into hell forever. That is our choice. We each get to choose who we want to be lord of our lives – God or ourselves. That is the ultimate decision we make and it determines our ultimate end in this life and forever.

Paul was God’s servant. He knew God told him he would go to Rome. He had confidence in this and knew He would survive to get there, because God had a plan for him there. No matter what decisions or judgments the crew or Julius made, God’s plan was not be thwarted. Yes, they made bad decisions and went through very hair-raising times on the ship, but God continued to speak to Paul and encourage him. God encouraged the other 275 people onboard the ship through Paul.

Our lives often mirror that ship’s journey. When we choose to follow God’s path, be it smooth or stormy, we know we will, in the end, be in God’s hand and arrive at His purposed destination for us. The purpose of our lives, remember, is to be in relationship with God and to tell others about Him. (Read Genesis to understand that.) Choosing to follow that path means we give our lives into His care. When we choose not to follow God’s path, it will be stormy or smooth at times, but we do not have God’s hand steadying us and encouraging us on our journey. We may even perish from this life and eternal life because of our refusal to follow His Son, Jesus Christ. This may seem like a grand plan to scare everyone into following God, but it is not. God chooses each of us because He loves us. He provided salvation from our sinful earthly selves through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. This love is not a grand plan to punish people or coerce them into having to follow Him. No, God gives us free will. What we choose is up to each individual person. God offers salvation and eternal life. The alternative is your choice. By not choosing God, you choose eternal punishment, for that is what sin deserves, punishment. Any loving parent disciplines their child. God made a way for the discipline to come to an end, through the sacrifice of His Son as the atoning sacrifice for all sins. It is up to us to choose to accept this free gift of His sacrifice.

Life can be like a boat on a stormy sea, but we can have the assurance Paul had. God had a plan for him in his immediate physical life and in his eternal life. Paul rested peacefully in that knowledge. He trusted God’s hand would not leave him or be thwarted by the bad decisions or judgments of men. God saved Paul and 275 other men that night. In the next three weeks, while they waited out winter, God healed and saved many other people through His servant Paul. God’s purpose was not thwarted. Many were saved on that ship and many more were saved on the island of Malta during the ensuing weeks of their stay.

God has a plan for you and for me. We each get to choose what we want to do; that is a gift God gave us when He created us.

You get to choose who will be the lord of your life – yourself or God.

With this decision, you get to choose your ultimate destination – heaven or hell – life and love or death.

The decision is yours.

Good, Better, and Best

There are many times in life where we must make a decision between things. The choice can be simple as in which candy should I eat or as difficult as which person should I marry or which job offer should I take. If we are not happy with the choices given, he or she may demand our right to choose. At other times people do not give us an option to make a choice and we demand our right to choose for ourselves. We do our best to make the right decision.   

When we become Christians, decision-making does not end. We are often given the choice between things. Sometimes we think our right is to choose between the choices God has given us. From a historical perspective, I see that sometimes this decision point is more than a chance to choose what we want. It is the oppor­tunity to choose between the good and the best. Consider the story of Lot and Abraham in Genesis 13. The herdsmen of each of these men argued over their rights to particular grounds upon which their cattle, sheep, and camels grazed. Abraham and Lot conferred on this and God gave Abraham the wisdom to tell Lot they should choose from the land God presented to them. Abraham offered Lot the opportunity to choose which land he preferred. Lot looked at the land and chose the green, fertile land on the Jordan River side of Bethel. This decision left Abraham with green areas and dry regions. Abraham chose to give Lot first choice. How did Lot choose? It appears he chose based on what he thought would make him more prosperous, the greener territory. He gave the land that appeared less prosper­ous to Abraham.  

Abraham did to Lot what God does to us; he gave Lot the choice be­tween two good things. Lot chose, though, what he, as a human, thought was best. In the end, the land Lot chose was not the best land, only a good place. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah was located in the region Lot chose and God eventually destroyed those two towns. Abraham received what appeared to be a good parcel of land. Occurrences soon showed him it was not just a good choice, but it was the best choice. God assured this land, as far as Abraham could see, as the Promised Land for the family from the line of Abraham (see Genesis 17). Lot had the preference of choosing and he chose instead of seeking God’s will to get the best. Abraham had the option of choosing first, but gave the choice to Lot. Abraham chose the best, by honoring his nephew with respect by allowing him to choose first. From Abraham’s decision, the best decision, God provided the best land, the chosen Promised Land for the Israelites. 

With  this said- how does this apply to us? God sometimes gives His children a choice between options He approves. If we jump to make a choice based on our rights, such as “I have a right to whatever I want because God has given me these choices,” then we might not choose the best alternative. When God does give us the choice between two things of which He approves, we must always seek God’s will for us and choose what the “best” opportunity is. Remember, God knows what will happen in our lives, so He knows what is best for us to help us get to and get through future expe­riences. I know giving our choices to God is not easy. As humans, we want our rights and if God gives us a choice, that becomes our right. Consider it a further growing opportunity. We have the opportunity to come before God again and trust in His wisdom so we can choose what is best for our lives, not just what we want because we have a “right.” I pray each of us will learn to do this, take the options to God and let Him choose for us. This will give us the opportunity to grow spiritually. We must continually walk with our eyes towards God.